Treatment of metal rods



Feb. 9, 1932. M, MORGAN 1,844,135

TREATMENT OF METAL RODS Filed June 22, 1928 (if/tornen Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MYLES MORGAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 MORGAN CONSTRUC- TION' COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS TREATMENT 0F METAL RODS Application tiled June 22,

The present invention relates to a treatment of hot metal stock, such as rods, bars, and the like, designed to realize the full benefit from rapid water-cooling of such stock, in its passage from the rolling mill to a reel, cooling bed, or other receiving device.

It has been proposed heretofore to impinge upon the rapidly moving hot material a plurality of surrounding jets of water,- for example, by such apparatus as that shown and described in United States Letters Patent of A. T. Bloom, No. 1,211,277, dated January 2, 1917.. or in United States Letters Patent of J. R. George, No. 1,672,061, dated June 5, 1928. However, such water treatment, while adapted to procure the desired rapid cooling of the hot material` with a consequent improvement in its quality, due to marked reductions in crystaline grain structure and surface scaling, nevertheless has the disadvantage of causing a considerable amount of cooling water, in the form of skin or film, to be carried along with the rapidlymoving stock; such residue of water is apt to produce hard spots in the finally-cooled product; and especially, in the case of hot wire rods that undergo direct reeling into a coil or bundle, the splashing of such water onto the coil produces spots of excessive hardness that seriously interfere with the subsequent cold drawing of said rod material into wire.

The particular object of thefpresent invention is to remove effectively, in the absence of any interference with the stocks rapid delivery, this residue of cooling water that practically envelops the stock as the latteremerges progressively from the usual watercooling apparatus. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, reference being had in this connection to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View, showing water-cooling as applied to wire rods on their way to a reel, with the water-removing apparatus of my invention interposed between the cooling devices and the reeling devices.

1928. Serial No. 28'h570.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the water-removing apparatus, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the numerals 1, 1 denote the final or finishing rolls of a rolling mill, from which the red-hot product, for example, a succession of rods A, are continuously delivered. Said rod material. as here shown, passes through a delivery pipe 2 and is directed, by a switch 3, to one or the other of a pair of branch pipes 4, 4, each of which, in the usual manner, is adapted to direct the rods ultimatel to a reel delivery pipe 5, the latter leading to a reeling device 6, adapted to form the rods into coils or bundles. In their passage through the pipes 2 and 4, the rods are subjected, in the usual manner, to the cooling action of water under pressure, said water being admitted against the rod, preferably in the form of a plurality of impinging jets, by means of suitable devices indicated conventionally at 7, 7, the water for such jets being sup lied by a feed pipe 8 connected to each of the devices 7, 7; said devices 7, 7 may be of the form and construction which is shown and described in either of the aforesaid Bloom or George patents, or may befof any other desired form.

Although the rapidly-moving material as it emerges progressively from the cooling pipe 4 is no longer subject to the pressure of the 10, within a closed chamber 11, into one end of which opens the cooling pipe 4 and from the other end of which a bell-mouthed guidin member 12 directs the rod into the reel tu e 5. Each of the annular elements 9, 9 has its bore of substantially hour-glass shape, i. e., contracted midway of its ends to a diameter only slightly greater than that of the rod, as shown at 13, and flaring outwardly in both directions so as to provide a gradually contracting opening 14 on the entrance side, and a gradually expanding opening on the exit side.

It is found in actual practice that after the water-laden rods A have been relieved of the resenee of the cooling water by emergence rom pipe 4, their passage through a series of these alined elements 9, 9, constructed as above described, effects a substantially complete removal of all water carried forward on the surfaces of said rods as a result of their subjection to said water-cooling,-so that each rod when it enters the reel pipe 5 carries with it practically no water and therefore can be laid in a coil, or otherwise disposed of without danger of hard spots developing therein from the splashing of water onto the coil, or from the presence of water left on the rods surface. The action of the elements 9, 9 in removing this surface water from the rod A is not in an sense a scraping or wiping action, since w atever occasional contact the rod A makes with the contracted portions 13, 13 of said elements is purely accidental,- the purpose being to have the rod run freely without friction, through said members. On the other hand, the substantial hour-glass shape of the bores of said elements 9, 9, in con]unction with the high speed of travel of the rod, is believed to be a definite contributory influence in the drawing away of the water from the direction of travel of the rod,-the contracting,V entrance 14 and the expanding exit 15both acting, apparently, to divert the particles of water outwardly.

The rapid movement of tbe'rods through these hour-glass openings in the alined annular elements 9, 9 procures, as aforesaid, a substantially complete diversion of the water from the surfaces of the lrods,--the water being transferred by the action above described to the internal surfaces of the elements 9, 9, and running oil' said surfaces by gravity to collect in the bottom of chamber 11. from which it may be removed by an outlet pipe 16. To assist the `water removing action of these elements 9. 9, means may be provided,

` if desired, to hasten the withdrawal of water from the surfaces 14 and 15, such means. as here shown, taking the form of a plurality of blower pipes 17, 17, withtheir open ends adjacent the surfaces 15, all of said pipes being connected through a common pipe 18 to any suitable blast-producing agency, such as a blower, not shown.

I claim,

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for water-cooling a rapidly-moving hot metal rod in transit from a rolling mill to a reeling device, of means operable continuously by the movenent of said rod to divert from the rods surface the cooling water that is carried forward therewith, said last-named means comprising a series of annular elements in alinement and each in surrounding relation to said rod.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for water-cooling a rapidly-moving hot metal rod in transit from a rolling mill to a reeling device, of means in surroundin relation to the path of said rod between sai cooling means and said reeling device for diverting from the rods surface the cooling water that is carried forward therewith, said last-named means comprising a series of alined annular elements whose bores, for the passage of said moving rod, rovides surfaces first in approaching nd tiien in receding relation to the rods surace.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for water-cooling a rapidly-moving hot metal rod in transit from a. rolling mill to a reeling device, of means in surrounding relation to the path of said rod between said *cooling` means and said reeling device for diverting from the rods surface the cooling water that is carried forward therewith, said lastnamed means comprising a series of alined annular elements whose bores, for the passage of said moving rod, provide surfaces first in approaching and then in receding relation to the rods surface, and pressure means to force the diverted water from the surface of said rod and said annular elements.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for water-cooling a rapidly-mpving hot metal rod, of means in the path of the said moving rod beyond said water-cooling means for diverting from the rods surface the cooling water that is carried forward therewith, said last-named means comprising an annular element with a bore of substantial length in surrounding relation to said rod, with the internal surface of said bore initially approaching and then receding from the rods surface.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for water-cooling a rapidly-moving hot metal rod, of means in the path of said moving rod beyond said water-cooling means for diverting from the rods surface the cooling water that is carried forward therewith, said last-named means comprising an annular element with a bore of substantial length in surrounding relation to said rod, with the internal surface 0f said bore initially approaching and then receding from the rods surface in a substantially parabolic curve.

6. The combination, with means for supplying water under pressure for the cooling of radially-moving hot metal stock, of a series of hourlass bores through which said stock passes a er the pressure of the cooling water theron is relieved, for the diversion of the residue of cooling Water carried along on the stocks surface. l i

7. The combination Withfa pipe supplied with Water for the coolin of rapidl -movhot metal stock passing t rough sai pipe, of means operable on said stock after its emergence from said pipe for removing the residue of cooling water carried on its surface, said means comprising surfaces first in approaching and then in receding relation to the surface of the moving stock.

8. The combination with a pipe supplied with water for the cooling of rapidly-mov ing hot metal stock passing though said pipe, of means operable in the absence of substantial contact with said stock for removing the residue of cooling water carried on its surface, said means comprising surfaces first in approaching and then in recedin relation to the surface of the moving stock ollowing the latters emergence from said cooling Pipe.

MYLES MORGAN.

receding from the rods surface in a sub stantially parabolic curve. i.

6. The combination, with means :for supplying water under pressure for the cooling of radially-moving hot metal stock, of a series of hourlass bores through which said stock passes a ter the pressure of the cooling Water theron is relieved, for the diversion of the residue of cooling water carried along on the stocks surface.

7. The combination with a pipe supplied with Water for the coolin of rapidl -movhot metal stock passing t rough sai pipe, of means operable on said stock after lts emergence from said pipe for removing the residue of cooling water carried on its surface, said means comprising surfaces first in approaching and then in receding relation to the surface of the moving stock.

8. The combination with a pipe supplied with water for the cooling of rapidly-moving hot metal stock passing though said pipe, of means operable in the absence of substantial contact with said stock for removing the residue of cooling wafer carried on its surface, said means comprising surfaces first in approaching and then in recedin relation to the surface of the moving stock ollowing the latters emergence from said cooling Pipe- MYLES MORGAN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Parent No. `1, 844, 13s.

Granted February 9, 1932, t0

MYLES MORGAN.

It ishereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correct-ion as follows: In the grant, heading to drawings and printed specification, title of invention, for "Treatment of Metal Rods" read Treatment of Metal Rods andthe like; page 1, line 22, before the word "skin" insert the article a; page 2, line 16, for "presence" read pressure, and line 110, claim 4, strike out the word "the" second occurrence; page 3, line 5, claim 6, for the compound word "radially-moving" read rapidly-moving; same page, line 12, claim 7, for "rapidly-mov read rapidly-moving, and line 22, claim 8, for "though" read through; and that the s aid Letters Patent should he read with these corrections therein that Vthe same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of March, A. D. 1932.A

(Seal) M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,844,135. Granted February 9, 1932, to'

MYLES MORGAN.

.It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correct-ion as follows: In the grant, heading to drawings and printed specification, title of invention, for "Treatment of Metal Rods" read Treatment of Metal Rods and the like; page l, line 22, before the word "skin" insert the article a; page 2, line 16, for "presence" read pressure, and line 110, claim 4, strike out the word "the" second occurrence; page 3, line 5, claim 6, for the compound word "radially-moving" read rapidly-moving; same page, line 12, claim 7, for "rapidly-mov read rapidly-moving, and line 22, claim 8, for "though" read through; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of March, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

